Energy Transition & Comprehensive Resilience

Europe and its democracies are facing significant challenges in these unstable times. The complexity of modern threats necessitates a departure from conventional approaches; we need to embrace innovative, out-of-the-box thinking with a strong focus on foresight. As contemporary issues evolve and traditional threats persist, this juncture presents a pivotal opportunity to enhance our capabilities in energy transition and system resilience.

To effectively counter global instability and systemic risks, a comprehensive approach is paramount—one that encompasses the whole-of-government and whole-of-society principles. This is essential for fostering comprehensive resilience, particularly in the energy sector, where integration of diverse perspectives and expertise is crucial.

The University of Vaasa and its partners have recently established a new multi-disciplinary Preparedness and Resilience research platform dedicated to exploring resilience, particularly through public-private partnerships and innovative solutions. This initiative highlights the critical local and regional dimensions needed for meaningful discussions surrounding energy transition and preparedness.

Energy security has emerged as a primary target for malign actors, further exacerbated by climate change and unpredictable global markets. While we have technical solutions at our disposal, there is an urgent need to innovate further and rethink our dependencies and interconnections in the energy landscape. Today, energy security must transcend technology; it is fundamentally intertwined with our broader economic and social resilience, as well as comprehensive security.

Economic growth and a secure business environment are essential for enhancing deterrence against emerging threats. However, hard security measures alone are insufficient. A thriving economy requires an atmosphere of trust, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit—qualities that malign forces seek to undermine. By fostering stronger public-private partnerships and embracing a shared vision for the future, we can enhance our economic and energy resilience.

Innovative technological solutions are being developed daily, and while they enhance efficiency and everyday activities, they also introduce new vulnerabilities and challenges. We must leverage these technologies strategically to bolster both deterrence and resilience, particularly in the context of energy transition. The integration of artificial intelligence in foresight analysis, dependency mapping, and trend tracking will be critical in navigating this complex landscape and ensuring a resilient energy system.

Conference Highlights: The conference will feature a mix of public and private, Finnish and European speakers and panellists, including industry leaders, universities, policymakers, and EU officials. Participants will gain fresh insights, hear perspectives from top-level experts, and have the chance to discuss directly with decision-makers shaping Europe’s energy and security agenda. The event also offers excellent opportunities for networking and building new partnerships across sectors.

The University of Vaasa is an international and multidisciplinary research university focused on sustainable business, energy, and society. Our strategic focus areas – the energy transition, business renewal, and societal transformation – guide our research and education towards impactful solutions.

We work in close collaboration with businesses and society at the heart of the Nordic region’s largest energy technology hub. Through research, innovation, and partnerships, we promote the use of clean energy, responsible consumption and production, and sustainable economic growth.

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Via our research platforms, we conduct challenge- and phenomenon-driven, interdisciplinary research that makes a difference in the real world, addressing global societal challenges. We emphasise the importance of engaging collaborators from industry and society. Given our location at the heart of Northern Europe's largest energy and environment cluster, it is especially our responsibility to spearhead the promotion of sustainability. The Vaasa region's community-based innovation and economic impact is recognised both nationally and internationally. Our cooperation with the region's global exporters is exceptionally close and impressive, as our education and research activities add value to the surrounding international and national ecosystem.

Our location at the heart of Northern Europe’s largest energy and environmental technology hub strengthens our mission: to drive the energy transition, mitigate climate change, and promote sustainable business. This mission is also reflected in how we build partnerships and engage internationally – with purpose, responsibility, and impact.

For additional information of the University of Vaasa, please visit our website. 

The Preparedness and Resilience Research Platform (PREP) is an open, multidisciplinary research environment at the University of Vaasa. The platform will enhance research on economic and societal resilience, as well as comprehensive security and preparedness.

Research themes

Geopolitical tensions, a changing security environment, and growing uncertainties are posing challenges to economies and societies.  The research conducted within the platform helps to address these challenges and provides science-based information and insights to support decision-making.

The research includes a wide range of topics related to resilience and preparedness, as well as their intersections.

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The platform receives support for the development of research and operations from a multidisciplinary Advisory Board, which brings together influential representatives from business and society.

For more information of the Preparedness and Resilience Research Platform, please visit the platform's website. 

The conference will take place in Brussels, at the Royal Academy of Sciences (“Palais des Académies”).

Académie royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique 

Adresse postale : Rue Ducale 1, 1000 Bruxelles - Belgique

For further information about the event, you may contact Philippe Vanrie in Brussels (philippe.vanrie@uwasa.fi) or Malin Wikstedt in Finland (malin.wikstedt@uwasa.fi). 

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